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Moral Vagueness in a Mind-Independent World

Project description

Shedding light on moral vagueness

Moral vagueness (MV) strongly influences people’s ethical outlook, behaviour and choices. In the moral domain, the sorites paradox (known as the paradox of the heap) provides a substantial indication of the MV existence. However, the sources of MV remain unknown. By researching and explaining its sources, it could be possible to assume that the robust moral realism is true and that moral epistemicism and moral indeterminacism have clear implications for what we ought to do when challenged with moral vagueness. In the EU-funded MVG project, this hypothesis will be tested by using combined expertise in vagueness and decision-making, as well as vagueness and meta ethics. The research will contribute to several subfields of philosophy and practical ethics.

Objective

Sometimes, there is vagueness about whether it is morally permissible to perform a certain act—moral vagueness. This raises a question: what is the source of moral vagueness? To approach this question, it is standard to assume that, as many hold, we live in a robustly realist moral world—a mind-independent world. The central hypothesis of this project is that if we live in such a world, then the two leading accounts of the source of moral vagueness—moral epistemicism and (what might be called) moral indeterminacism—have distinct and significant implications for what we ought to do, all things considered, when confronted with moral vagueness. This, it will be argued, has been overlooked in previous research, and it promises both to evade a serious worry at the heart of the search for the source of moral vagueness and to set a new path for finding the source. The main objective of the project is to confirm that hypothesis. The project combines the expertise of the Experienced Researcher (ER) in vagueness and decision-making with the internationally-recognised expertise of the supervisor (Matti Eklund) in vagueness and meta-ethics, and the strengths of the host organisation (Uppsala University) in theoretical and practical philosophy. The project will greatly improve the ER’s career prospects, especially given the excellent match between the expertise of the supervisor and that of the ER and the consequent training and mentorship that the ER will receive. Meanwhile, in light of the project’s engagement with issues that connect many sub-disciplines of philosophy, the host organisation will benefit from the ER’s inter-sub-disciplinary contribution to its research activities and the networking opportunities that will ensue.

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MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)

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(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2020

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Coordinator

UPPSALA UNIVERSITET
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 191 852,16
Address
VON KRAEMERS ALLE 4
751 05 Uppsala
Sweden

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Region
Östra Sverige Östra Mellansverige Uppsala län
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 191 852,16
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